Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza Saturday at the Cockrell

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Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza concert

What: Concert by Mexico City's world famous Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. The show is the grand finale to the weeklong mariachi festival produced by Cynthia Muñoz. Opening the show are the festival's top middle school, high school and college mariachi groups and vocalists

Mariachi musicians are a common fixture along the River Walk, at El Mercado and in Mexican restaurants and bars, and almost required at any grand opening in this Mexican-American town.

Perhaps it's because of this that locals mostly dismiss the music as cantina music for tourists. But most mariachi musicians are classically trained, play a variety of instruments and sing, as well.

“People still have that image of the Frito Bandito little guy in their head. And so many times when people think about mariachi music, it's more in the negative,” festival producer Cynthia Muñoz said.

“It's just a lack of understanding that crosses over even to Mexican-Americans and Mexicans living in San Antonio ... they have no idea mariachi music is this good,” she said. “It's beyond their imagination.”

Mariachi music, lush with strings and brass instruments, demands virtuosity to play it. This week, it commands attention for attracting a youthful and astonishingly diverse demographic of musicians and fans.